Do Exogenous Ketones Work (Or Is Pruvit a Scam)?

If you know someone who’s using Pruvit for weight loss you’ve probably been amazed by their results.  But is their success really due to Pruvit?

Do exogenous ketones work for weight loss? 

Are there any dangers of exogenous ketones?

Does Pruvit work or is Pruvit a scam?

Here is my honest Pruvit review and the truth about what exogenous ketones can and can’t do. 

A couple of months ago I decided to go back to keto. 

While I had had success doing the keto diet without exogenous ketones before, I had to wonder if it would be easier to do with Pruvit.  Could I do keto without all the work of counting carbs by using exogenous ketones?

While I was skeptical about whether or not drinking ketones really works, I decided to give it a try and bought a two-week supply of Pruvit.

While you will find lots of Pruvit O/S NAT reviews online telling you how great Pruvit is, this is not one of them. 

No, I won’t be posting any Pruvit before and after pictures to try to real you in. 

Unlike many other reviewers, I did not sign up for Pruvit and will not be trying to get you to sign up with them either. 

What you will get from me is an honest Pruvit review.

So, if you have heard of Pruvit and wondered “What do exogenous ketones do?”, “Do ketone supplements work?”, or “how do I kickstart keto” read about my experience with exogenous ketones and why I decided not to stick with Pruvit. 

General Info About Exogenous Ketones

What are ketones?

When you are following a ketogenic diet, ketones are what your liver converts fat into.  These ketones are then used, instead of glucose, for fuel, which is known to have a number of health benefits including more energy, better cognitive functioning, suppressed appetite, and weight loss.

What are exogenous ketones?

Exogenous ketones are ketones that you ingest, rather ones that your body produces.

How do exogenous ketones work?

Exogenous ketones work by putting ketones directly into your body, which can be measured in your blood, urine or breath. 

What do exogenous ketones do?

Since ingesting these ketones puts ketones in your body, they technically put you into ketosis.  But you won’t truly be in nutritional ketosis. 

So far there has not been much scientific evidence to confirm if this would provide you with the same benefits of being in nutritional ketosis through diet.

Do exogenous ketones help you get into ketosis?

While there is no scientific data to confirm it, many people find that taking exogenous ketones while transitioning to the keto diet can help them get into ketosis quicker and minimalize or prevent the effects of the keto flu. 

How long do exogenous ketones keep you in ketosis?

How long exogenous ketones stay in your system will vary depending on what and how much you eat and your level of exercise, but generally they will only last a few hours.

When should I take exogenous ketones?

Many companies suggest that you take exogenous ketones when you are transitioning to the keto diet to help ease the symptoms of the keto flu.  It is also suggested that drinking exogenous ketones after a cheat day can help you get back into ketosis quicker.

Another recommendation is that you take these ketone supplements when you feel a drop in energy or mental functioning during the day.  It has also been suggested that they could be used to increase athletic performance. 

Since drinking ketones can often help to suppress your appetite, many people will drink them to prolong a fast.

Do exogenous ketones break a fast?

Technically, a true fast is when you avoid anything with calories, so yes exogenous ketones will break a fast. 

But many ketoers who do intermittent fasting don’t feel that drinking ketones breaks their fast since it doesn’t cause a spike in blood glucose or insulin levels.  They find that it works to suppress their appetite so they can fast longer and experience more of the benefits of fasting. 

Can I take exogenous ketones before bed?

While many people use ketone supplements to help increase their energy, some people find it helps them to achieve a deeper sleep.  Just be sure that it is caffeine-free.

Do exogenous ketones help you lose weight?

When you’re following a keto diet your body converts fat, both ingested and stored, into ketones.  Since this does not happen when you ingest ketones, you won’t lose weight just by taking exogenous ketones alone. 

Do you lose weight in ketosis?

Most people are able to lose weight by being in true nutritional ketosis.

About Pruvit

What is Pruvit?

Pruvit is a company that sells ketone supplements

Is Pruvit an MLM business?

Yes.

How much does it cost to join Pruvit?

An annual promoter membership costs $37US/year ($49CAN). 

Can you make money selling Pruvit?

When you join Pruvit as a promoter you are able to sign people up under you and earn a commission, but you are required to make monthly purchases yourself to receive the commission.

What is Keto OS?

Pruvit’s Ketone supplement is called Keto O/S (Ketone Operating System) and comes in individual packages with a variety of flavors available.

What is in keto OS?

In addition to the ketones and other supplements, Keto O/S contains are erythritol, citric acid, natural flavor, rebaudioside a (stevia extract), vegetable juice color, xanthan gum, beta carotene and some contain caffeine.

How much do Pruvit ketone supplements cost?

Pruvit’s Keto O/S currently sells for $130US ($179.55 CAN) for a box with 20 servings in it, which works out to $6.50US ($8.98CAN) per serving.

If you sign up for their SmartShip program you get a discount. This drops the price to $101.50US ($140CAN), which makes it $5.07US ($7CAN) per serving. 

You will also get free products (though you still have to pay taxes and shipping) after every 3 months you consecutively place an order.  If the free product also contains 20 servings, this would drop the cost to $3.81US ($5.25CAN) per serving.  Plus, the cost of shipping every month.

Are exogenous ketones safe? 

For most people, there are no Pruvit dangers to worry about, as long as you stay hydrated.  The exception to that is for diabetics, as it could cause their ketone levels to rise too high leading to ketoacidosis.

How long does it take for Pruvit to put you into ketosis?

According to Pruvit, their supplements will put you in a state of ketosis within 60 minutes of consuming them. 

How long do you stay in ketosis?

As with any exogenous ketone supplement, this will generally last a few hours. 

Are there any Pruvit side effects I should know about?

The most common side effect of taking ketone supplements are nausea, diarrhea and stomach discomfort.  Some other possible side effects are low energy, irritability, fatigue and headaches. 

How to take keto O/S

It is recommended that you take 1-2 servings of Keto O/S a day, in the morning and afternoon or before you exercise.  You also need to make sure to drink plenty of water before consuming the ketone supplement and throughout the day.

To reduce the chance of GI symptoms you should start by only drinking a ½ serving the first day or two, then increase to a full serving if you do not experience any stomach issues.

Will I lose weight on Pruvit?

Pruvit states that they are not a weight loss system.  Their product is only designed to put ketones in the body.

Is Pruvit a Scam?

Many people look into Pruvit hoping the magic drink will make them lose weight without having to diet and exercise.  But this is not what Pruvit advertises their product to do, so the company is not scamming anyone.

However, some of their promoters may use misleading tactics to try to sell you the product, such as posting or talking about their weight loss success with Pruvit without mentioning the drastic changes they also made to their diet.

My Pruvit Review

Before I started taking Pruvit I cut all grains, sugars and junk food out of my diet.  While this would have significantly lowered my carbs, they were not low enough to be keto, as I was still eating high carb fruits.

By the third day, the sugar withdrawal had left me feeling tired all day.

Week 1 on Pruvit- No Diet Changes

On my fourth day of being sugar-free I started taking Pruvit O/S NAT, starting with ½ a serving as recommended.

Before taking it, I felt a bit hungry, but not starving. 

An hour later I was still hungry. 

I felt as tired as I had the day before and had a difficult time focusing on my work. 

I tested my urine for ketones, and there were none.

I at least didn’t experience any side effects.

The second day I again only drank half a serving. 

This time when I tested my urine an hour after drinking it, I had trace levels of ketones.

I still wasn’t bursting with energy, but I was at least feeling less tired than the day before.  It still had no effect on my appetite or on my mental focus.

On the third day, I had a full serving of Keto O/S.

I had large levels of ketones in my urine within an hour, but they were gone 4 hours later. 

It did suppress my appetite for a while, but it still wasn’t helping me with my goal to fast until lunchtime. 

I was less tired after drinking it (still not bursting with energy though), but it still had no effect on my mental clarity.  Before starting on Pruvit I had been taking a Lion’s Mane Mushroom supplement to help with focus. I had stopped taking it to see if the exogenous ketones would be as effective, but after 3 days of not being able to focus on my work, I had to start taking them again.

The rest of my first week was pretty much the same.  Some small differences to appetite and energy, but nothing significant.  I continued to have large levels of ketones in my urine within an hour of drinking it, but they would go back to zero a few hours later.

By the end of the first week, I hadn’t lost any weight.

Week 2- Following the Keto Diet

The second week I wanted to test how effective it was at getting me into ketosis and if it would make a bigger difference once I was.  I started eating under 50 grams of net carbs per day.

While most people aim for 25 grams or less of net carbs while getting into ketosis, I wanted to see if these exogenous ketones would help me get into ketosis without going so low on carbs.

The next three days there was no change.  The ketones in my urine were still gone within a few hours and I was not experiencing any significant benefits.

On the positive side, I did not experience any keto flu symptoms.

Day 12 (and the fifth day of following the keto diet too) was the first day I tested positive for ketones in my urine in the evening, 10 hours after having the drink.

The next day I ended up finishing my two-week trial of Pruvit early.

I had one package of Keto O/S Unleashed, which has double the ketones and had planned on splitting it over the last two days.

But that night I had been woken up by the dog through the night, then a kid at 4:00 am who didn’t go back to sleep.  According to my Fitbit, I had only gotten 10% deep sleep, so I knew it was going to be a rough day.

I decided to drink the double dose and see if it could give me the energy I would need to make it through the day.

I had moderate levels of ketones in my urine before the drink and large an hour after.  My ketone levels stayed high all day and evening. 

Despite my crappy sleep, I had energy all day and wasn’t even tired by the evening.  I also was able to focus on my work without taking the Lion’s Mane Mushroom supplement.

The next morning, I still had small levels of ketones in my urine.

Even without taking any exogenous ketones that day, I was still energetic and it again lasted the day without any crashes in energy.

By the end of this second week, I had lost 1 pound. 

The Taste

I tried 12 different keto O/S/ flavors during my 2-week trial of Pruvit.

My favorite was the chocolate.  While I have read that some people don’t like the taste of keto O/S, I didn’t find it that bad.  It does have a bitter after taste, but I am used to that since I use stevia in a lot of my baking.

I wasn’t a big fan of the Vanilla Sky flavor.  It had a hint of vanilla flavor to it but wasn’t as strong as the others so it didn’t cover the bitterness as well.  The mint chip also didn’t cover the bitterness too well, but it did taste strongly like mint chip ice cream.

The other flavors were Lime, Maui Punch, Raspberry Lemonade, Hearty Tart, Poppin Pear Apple, Harvest Sunrise, Holy Grail (coconut-lime champagne), Blue Ocean, and a carbonated one called The Big Apple.  All of them tasted fine and were sweet enough to cover the bitterness.

Why I didn’t sign up for Pruvit

Even though Pruvit did help me get into ketosis without suffering from the keto flu, and I don’t feel that they are a scam, I decided not to stick with it.

I do feel that exogenous ketones could be helpful to someone following the keto diet to help with energy decreases as needed, to help prevent the keto flu when going into ketosis, to help get back into ketosis quicker after a cheat and to help prolong fasting.

However, there are lots of other exogenous options out there that cost way less and are just as effective.

*Note: The following prices are based on the online pricing as of December 2019.

The one that I am now using is Keto Plus Exogenous Ketones, which costs $40US ($60CAN) for 30 servings, so $1.33US ($2CAN) per serving.  It is sweetened with Stevia and Monk fruit and has 0 grams of net carbs. 

Some other popular brands of ketone drinks are:

• Kiss My Keto Exogenous Ketones ($45 for 20 servings)
• Keto Drive BHB Salts ($40 for 16 servings)
• Ketond Advanced Ketone Supplement ($80 for 30 individually packaged servings)
• KetoSports KetoCaNa BHB Exogenous Ketone Supplement ($55 for 16 servings)
• Perfect Keto Exogenous Ketones ($57 for 15 servings)

Even though Pruvit’s SmartShip program can reduce the cost from $6.50 per serving to $3.81, I feel that it is far too expensive.  I also don’t like that I would have to commit to purchasing 20 servings per month to get it at that price, as I won’t necessarily need that many every month.

With other exogenous ketone supplements, you can order as much or as little as you want, when you want.

While I didn’t initially stick to the keto diet after my 2-week Pruvit trial, I have now been back to keto for 3 weeks.  This time I didn’t try to do it with any shortcuts.  Instead, I followed “The Keto Reset Diet” book by Mark Sisson (red my review here).

I also did use exogenous ketones to help get me into ketosis without the keto flu again, but I have found the cheaper versions to be just as effective as Pruvit.

Now that I am actually in ketosis, I have also been able to use the ketone drinks to help me fast for 15 hour stretches most day too.

So, do exogenous ketones work?

In my opinion, they do, but not the way most people are hoping they will

I didn’t lose any weight and it didn’t have much of an effect on me at all until I was actually in nutritional ketosis.  There really aren’t any benefits to using Pruvit without following the keto diet as well. 

And they certainly aren’t a magic key to easy weight loss.

What they may work for, in my experience, is helping you avoid the keto flu, helping to refuel you during energy crashes, and making it easier to fast longer.  But only if you are following the keto diet.

So, is Pruvit a scam?

No, they are just overpriced.

Have you tried exogenous ketones?  Do exogenous ketones work for you? 

Let me know on my Facebook post. Follow me on Facebook for more keto tips and recipes to see what else I learn on my journey to live a healthier and happier life.